When a member of the general public is asked to define "sugar", a typical given description is "a sweet tasting granular substance". In the nutritional art "sugar" typically refers to a carbohydrate such as glucose, sucrose, maltose, fructose, sugar alcohols, low molecular weight dextrins and related carbohydrates. In the art, the broader term "sweeteners" includes both sugar and artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame.RTM. saccharin, and the like.
Fructose is the sweetest of the common sugars and is commonly used in foods and beverages in such forms as high fructose corn syrup or invert syrup. Due to its high hygroscopicity, powdered or crystalline fructose is very expensive and hard to make. Crystalline fructose is very hygroscopic and will begin to absorb moisture at 60% relative humidity. To prevent water absorption and to avoid difficulties in processing and packaging, crystalline fructose's recommended storage conditions are 77.degree. F. (25.degree. C.) or lower, and 50% or less relative humidity. Due to hygroscopicity and storage requirements of crystalline fructose, fructose in the form of syrups comprising about 77% solids and 23% water, wherein 42% to 99% of the solids are fructose, are used in making many food and beverage products. Liquid sweeteners such as Domino's liquid brown sugar, Karo light corn syrup, and Pillsbury Sweet 10 are often purchased by the consumer because of their ease of usage and dissolvability. Manufacturers of food and beverage products purchase large quantities of liquid sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, NETO.RTM., and liquid sucrose to reduce preparation time.
Sugars, particularly fructose syrups, can be used in a multitude of products such as carbonated beverages, coatings for baked goods such as cakes and pies, confectionary products such as mints, and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals such as cough syrups. However popular these products are with the general population, the nutritional benefits in terms of vitamins and minerals obtained from such products is often quite low.
Vitamin and mineral supplements for human and veterinary use are commonplace. Some diets, heavy physical exercise and disease conditions can require the intake of considerable quantities of minerals and vitamins apart from those generally obtained from what otherwise would be considered a normal diet. Vitamin and mineral supplementation is important primarily for those who have inadequate diets, including growing children. Older adults have an additional need for calcium to help prevent age-related bone loss. Postmenopausal women need additional calcium due to hormonal changes which can accelerate the rate of bone loss leading to a further diminishment in bone mass. Therefore, supplementation of the diet with a highly bioavailable source of calcium is desirable.
Calcium can be obtained from a variety of dietary sources. Primary sources of calcium are dairy products, in particular milk, which account for 75% of the daily calcium intake while foods other than dairy products generally contribute less than 200 mg of calcium daily. However, beginning in young adulthood and continuing through later life, the general population may not consume milk in sufficient quantities to obtain the recommended dietary levels of calcium. This diminished consumption can be caused by lactose intolerance as well as by the unattractiveness of milk as a drink for social occasions.
One of the problems in calcium supplementation is that all calcium sources are not equally soluble or bioavailable. Calcium citrate is poorly soluble in water; 1 gram of calcium citrate dissolves in 1,050 grams of cold water. Calcium malate exhibits a slightly greater solubility. Calcium hydroxide is only slightly soluble in water, and it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air to readily form calcium carbonate.
It is essential for the bioavailablity of calcium that the calcium salts be soluble in the stomach and intestine. This solubility aids in making calcium more readily available for absorption. Thus, the choice of calcium salts depends upon the interaction of the salts with secretions in the stomach and intestine.
Chewable tablets are a popular form of calcium supplements. However, they leave a gritty mouthfeel and a chalky aftertaste which many find unpleasant. The utility of these known supplements varies. Unlike agents, such as estrogen, which affect the metabolism of bone, calcium nutritional supplements have been thought to merely provide another source of the nutrient which may or may not be properly absorbed and metabolized.
Concentrated liquid bioavailable calcium supplements are unknown in the art. Several beverages containing calcium are known however, they provide milk level calcium (1/3 RDA) in 6 to 8 oz. of beverage; often show signs of solids settling, and are available in limited flavors (usually citrus).
Calcium citrate malate (CCM) is a highly bioavailable source of calcium. Calcium citrate malate may be obtained as a powder or can be formed in situ. Currently, calcium citrate malate can be obtained in certain commercially available juice beverages which provide milk level calcium in a good tasting product.
A need exists to provide a means of fortifying a variety of normally consumed food and beverage products. A sweetener supplement fortified with a concentrated bioavailable calcium source. Calcium citrate malate can provide a means to fortify food and beverages in a liquid form and carrier, which is commonly used as a normal ingredient in the preparation of food and beverage products. Such a sweetener supplement would need to be in a pourable/pumpable solution for maximum ease in usage. Formulating a pourable/pumpable solution with concentrated calcium citrate malate causes difficulties in solubilizing the solid ingredients such as the acids, sugar and calcium source. As more calcium is added, more acid is added and there is less liquid to dissolve the solids. This means that the components used to form CCM account for larger and larger proportions of the solids and generally from about 5% to 65% by weight of the compositions of the present invention.
Formulating a pourable/pumpable solution with a minimum amount of water causes difficulties in solubilizing the solid ingredients such as the acids, sugar and calcium. Due to the level of calcium citrate malate necessary to achieve a nutritionally significant level of calcium in the sweetener supplement, the precipitation of calcium, particularly at high temperatures, is a problem. Stability from calcium precipitation at high temperatures, greater than 85.degree. F. (29.degree. C.), is particularly important for storage in warehouses, plants and retail establishments without climate control and for storage near heat sources such as those found in commercial kitchens. Another stability concern at high solids concentrations levels is the crystallization of sugars, particularly sucrose.
A further concern in formulating such sweetener supplements is maintaining a desirable taste. The inclusion of high levels of calcium from common calcium sources such as calcium hydroxide can impart significant "chalky" or "biting/burning" mouthfeel sensations. In addition, the inclusion of chloride can impart a bitter and/or salty/brackish note to the flavor. These additives must be balanced. It would therefore be preferred to formulate concentrated sweetener supplements that when diluted and used in beverages, foods or pharmaceuticals, an acceptable taste is achieved.
The object of the present invention is to prepare sweetener supplements which are nutritionally supplemented with concentrated calcium citrate malate; are bioavailable; are clear solutions visually undistinguishable from commonly used liquid sweeteners; provide stability from calcium salt precipitation for at least about 4 hours, preferably at least about 3 days, at temperatures of at least about 85.degree. F. (29.degree. C.); and when used in beverages and foods can provide an acceptable taste. A further object is stability from sugar crystallization at high temperatures for at least about 4 hours, preferably at least about 3 days and most preferably at least about five days at temperatures of at least about 85.degree. F. (29.degree. C.). Another object of the invention is to provide a soluble bioavailable calcium source which can be readily used as a food ingredient and a method of enhancing said bioavailability.